Something Beautiful
by IceMonsta
Summary: That blonde man looked down and smirked. "You want to have a conversation face-to-face with you worst enemy, Granger, or would you rather stop being so reluctant and dance?" -Two-Shot Dramione- Post- Hogwarts... Chapter two rated M for some content.


**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter does not belong to me.

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Something Beautiful

~.~

_Watching the last of these days disappear_

_Feeling the air get colder_

_Seeing the world get darker._

_Memories of lying on the grass_

_Of the sun warming my closed eyes._

_Now, the warmth is gone_

_The sunshine is gone_

_The world has turned into something new_

_Something colder, something darker_

_Something different,_

_Something Beautiful._

-H. Sokolov

~.~

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Hermione looked around at the plentiful amounts of people in the room. The music seemed to drift among the vast space, making the couples laugh and smile as it continued. Hermione took another sip of her wine from her glass, and traced the rim of the bottle with her finger.

The War had been over for 7 years, and so all of her acquaintances and friends had moved on to a whole other life. This was her time. It was the Auror's end of the summer party, and Hermione came here with her colleague Jonas. She sighed as she turned her head across the small table.

Jonas looked at her and smiled. "You look lovely, Hermione."

Hermione grinned. "Thank you, Jonas," she looked around. "This party seems blameless so far. I haven't really gone to one for a while."

Jonas smiled and looked around. "Yeah, well summer's about to close, so the Head's make a big deal out of it. I personally don't get the idea of this, but it's fun." He poured a little more wine in his bottle. "Would you like some more?" he asked.

Hermione waved her hand. "No thanks. I've drunk too much as it is."

The musicians then started playing a slow waltz and women gushed as their partners invited them out on the dance floor. Hermione swallowed down the fruitful wine down her throat and sighed, watching almost desperately at the dancing couples.

Jonas studied her slowly and got up from his seat, striding towards her. He held out his hand and smiled. "Want to dance?" he asked.

Hermione looked around and then back up to Jonas' caring eyes. "I don't know…"

"Trust me, it'll me fun," he assured her.

Hermione exhaled and smiled with her shaped obscure red lips and took his hand. He led her to the floor and he smiled at her. They started slowly moving in circles as the ¾ waltz led them across the glossy floor. Hermione found herself starting to enjoy the dance as she felt the wind whisk past her ears.

"I never knew you could dance so well, Hermione," Jonas said to her as they both glided across the dance floor.

Hermione smiled. "I didn't know either," she enthused.

Jonas and Hermione exchanged smiles as they danced to the slow beat. When the song ended, Hermione was almost out of breath and showed a tiny grin to Jonas as they walked back to their table.

Jonas laughed. "That was fun," he said as he poured Hermione some more wine and for himself.

Hermione took the bottle of wine and took a sip, watching as the tiny droplets that clung on the side of her bottle turned black to the distorted sight of a man's shoes in front of her.

Hermione peered up with her golden eyes and saw those ice eyes that she remembered to this point.

_What the hell…_

That blonde man looked down and smirked. "You want to have a conversation face-to-face with you worst enemy, Granger, or would you rather stop being so reluctant and dance?"

Hermione put down her glass, her jaw almost dropping open.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" she spat.

Draco clicked his tongue. "I asked you a question first," he sneered.

Hermione closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

Jonas stood up and clenched his jaw. "Leave her alone," he hissed.

Draco laughed at the man and sighed. "You have enough control of another man to be like a little schoolgirl, and I simply asked Granger if she would like to dance with me, or talk to me."

Hermione stood up and nodded to Jonas hesitantly. "It's alright. I need to ask him a few questions."

Jonas studied her with apprehension, but she grinned at him, making him walk away from the table.

Hermione faced Draco with fiery eyes. "What do you want?"

Draco twisted his lip into a rascally smile that Hermione loathed. "Ah, Granger. Did you forget our contract? You have to _dance_ with me."

"We had no _bloody_ contract-"

Draco cut her off with a gasp as his strong hands pulled her into the crowd.

Hermione scowled at him as he trailed his eyes up and down her body. "If only I knew what a body you hid under those robes," he said.

Hermione gritted her teeth. "If you are trying to use me, I'm going to leave."

"Are you kidding? Only someone that had a soul of a pile of rubbish would think of using a woman for her body."

Hermione kept her hands at her side, clenching her fists so tight that she thought they would explode.

"I saw you dancing not 2 minutes ago, Granger. Have you forgotten?" he sneered. He took her hand and grasped it gently with his, and put one on his shoulder. "See? Wasn't hard, was it?"

Hermione gnashed her teeth so hard she thought she would chip them all. He snaked his arm around her tiny waist and they started to dance to the music.

Hermione blinked as her vision focused on his mercury eyes. His pale complexion seemed so adequate and so refined. She noticed that his jaw muscles clenched and unclenched whenever they danced closer. Malfoy's shoulders and chest were broad and in between muscular and not burly. And his lips were like a daubed portrait. They were a wholesome color that she hadn't seen before. He was no 7th year. He was a man.

A stupid man that had the same attitude as a Slytherin.

"Didn't know a goody-two shoes such as yourself would wear a backless dress and even have a taste of alcohol," Malfoy sniggered.

Hermione scoffed. "I'm 24, Malfoy. Don't underestimate me."

Malfoy clicked his tongue. "I also didn't know you would wear red lipstick and makeup for that matter." He then brought his nose down to her neck and inhaled. "Hmm, you smell good, Granger."

Hermione shivered to the feel of his warm breath against her neck. He brought his head back up and leered as he detected her bothered expression.

"You're such a prick-"

"Don't waste such _wounding_ comments on me, Granger," he drawled sarcastically. "Didn't you want to ask me something?"

Hermione glowered. "Why are you here? Of all places you could choose from, why here?"

"Well, Granger. Assuming I didn't know what I wanted to be when I was older, I couldn't really do anything like what you are. Of course I had marvelously outrivaling grades," he smirked when she huffed, "but I didn't want to use them on something as unreasonably fatuous as this."

"So what are you now?" Hermione asked marginally captivated.

"I became a Junior Assistant for the Minster for Magic," he said.

Hermione blinked a couple of times, trying to clear her mind from thinking that Draco Malfoy was better than her. Being Junior Assistant for the Minister for Magic was a top job, and Hermione was appalled that him and her were very much alike.

"I remember Percy Weasley was a Junior Assistant, but he left because of the Deatheaters."

Draco slightly jolted to the sound of the word Deatheater. He twirled her around gradually and brought her back in, as she felt perturbed about it again.

"Isn't Weasley an Auror? I thought you were dancing with him earlier but it was easy to see it wasn't him by his hair."

Hermione sighed. "Ron didn't find it entertaining for the most part, so he quit and found a new job."

He looked at her left hand, finding no ring. Draco looked back up to her. "Your boyfriend seemed overprotective," he smirked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Jonas is not my boyfriend, you twat, he's my colleague and he invited me here."

"Well since I was invited, he should of known how much disgrace he has caused to me," Draco said.

"You're not his boss. You work for someone else," Hermione snapped punitively.

Malfoy spun around with her, watching as her shiny hair swayed with the gust of wind.

They stopped and continued their repetitive steps.

1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3.

Hermione felt him take off her smooth gloves and shove them in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Hermione probed.

"Your bloody gloves are too slippery. I could end up sending you into that cake over there," he explained, gesturing his eyes toward the white desert.

Hermione sighed and they met their hands again, making them both tremble as charged shocks ran through their arm. Their bare palms lying hand in hand felt so altered and unreal.

They danced more and more, and Malfoy watched as Hermione's extensive dress sashayed across the floor stylishly.

"You boyfriend is going to get jealous seeing us because I'm having such a good time. Granger," Malfoy drawled.

"You wish, Malfoy."

"I know you're enjoying this too, Granger. Don't lie," he murmured next to her ear.

Hermione felt shivers tickle her body from his deep voice. She actually was enjoying this. She liked the way he spun her around, holding her close to his body and feeling the airstream whisper by her ear.

"You're horrible."

"I'm the charming Junior Assistant," he smirked.

"More like Junior "Ass"istant," Hermione scoffed.

Malfoy grinned and grabbed her waist, picking her up and rounding in circles.

Hermione felt his warm hands send chills down her waist as he gently placed her down on the floor. The music started to tumble to a stop as Hermione had her hands behind his neck. Malfoy's trivial smirk disappeared as they stood there and gaped into each other's eyes like nothing had happened.

Hermione suddenly had a feeling that she was almost too close to Malfoy. His manly breaths could be heard like they were right next to her ear. His chest heaved in pants, and she could smell the piney aroma that he had.

Draco brought his hand up to her supple arm and rubbed his thumb over her skin, his mercury eyes studying her carefully.

Hermione shivered to his touch and blinked a couple times.

"I need some air," she murmured, turning around and heading outside on the moonlit balcony.

Malfoy sighed and strode after her. He felt the brisk, upcoming October air bite his skin and stopped as he watched Granger's slim figure walking toward the edge and peering into the pond.

He studied her hourglass figure, and loved how her golden curls from her curly bun toppled onto her bare back, which was followed by her unique dress that fit her curves.

"I can't believe it has been 7 years," she said softly, rubbing her hands together.

Malfoy studied her still state for hours it seemed until he approached her slowly. "It seems like a lifetime," he answered.

He examined down at the pond and then turned to face her. "Do you have nightmares?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him with glossy eyes and pink cheeks. "Yes," she said finally.

Draco seized up when he saw her face turn taciturn and sad.

Hermione looked back down. "Nothing is going to change the past," she whispered, her voice slightly cracking to her incoming tears.

Draco looked at her with concern and stood in front of her. He cupped her chin with his hand and turned her face toward him.

He studied her confused, wet eyes and ran his thumb over the dimple of her chin.

"We can't change the past, but we can change the future," he said softly.

He leaned down and slowly met their lips. It was gentle and tender, like kissing a flower petal, yet Hermione felt much more than just a soft kiss. She felt like her world had stopped around her, and it was just he and she, under the October sky.

They broke apart intimately, and Hermione gaped up into his ice eyes that swirled with covetousness and warmth.

Hermione placed her hands on his cheek and showed a sad grin. "You changed my future," she whispered as she met their lips again.

Their arms wrapped around each other, protecting each other from the iciness.

And as the leaves started to change their color into something beautiful, so did they.

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A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed it as summer comes to an end. I hope it sets the mood! :) The poem was from H. Sokolova.

Please don't plagiarize anything I write without getting my permission.

Love you all, and happy end of the summer!

Xx IceMonsta


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